Following the successful ousting of Madagascar’s president Andriy Rojoelina, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who led the military coup against the country’s government, has said that he would remain in power as president of the country for up to two years. The coup against Rojoelina occurred following a month of protests from young people in the nation.
According to The Associated Press, there are concerns that the military took advantage of the youth-led protests to seize power. However, many protestors actually reacted positively to the military intervening and taking power during the protests. On Saturday, Randrianirina sided with the protestors, joining the increasing calls for Rojoelina to resign, which eventually led to a successful coup on October 14. Randrianirina further justified his taking power by claiming that Madagascar’s High Constitutional Court had invited him to take charge due to an absence of a proper president. Rojoelina, however, has yet to recognize the legitimacy of the new military government. Despite this, the military has stated that it expects to stay in power for up to two years during this transitional phase of the government. According to Reuters, new elections would only be held after that allotted time period. The military has also suspended institutions such as the country’s senate, and, interestingly, the High Constitutional Court.
Reuters also reported that Rojoelina, who has been warning of a potential military takeover for the past few days, most likely left Madagascar via a French military plane on Sunday. On Tuesday, members of his ruling party successfully voted to impeach him on the basis that he carried out acts that went against his job as president.
The protests that have been occurring for the past month in Madagascar are largely stemming from anger among the younger generations coming from the lack of national economic growth. According to Reuters, despite having ludicrous resources such as nickel, sapphire, and vanilla—of which Madagascar is the world’s leading exporter—the country’s governments have failed to capitalize on these goods. This is especially detrimental as Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries, with the average income being just $600 a year, and many people living below the international poverty line. Furthermore, food prices have also been rising. In addition to the poor economic situation, the island nation has also faced water and electricity shortages, both of which have been continuously promised to the people but almost never delivered. According to The Associated Press, people in Madagascar are also unhappy with corruption in the government. These sentiments have been echoed by similar protests also led by younger people in other nations.
While the internal reaction to the military takeover has been relatively positive, the international reaction has been the opposite. According to The Associated Press, the United Nations has expressed concern over what it deems to be an unconstitutional transition of power. Additionally, the African Union, which has a history of suspending its members over military takeovers, suspended Madagascar for the same reason.
Thus far, the plan for how the military will operate its transitional government, as well as the timeframe for elections, is unknown. However, many Madagascans are happy that Rojoelina has been ousted from his position.
